The Hobart City Council is pushing for changes to the Dog Control Act. A report before the council's parks and customer services committee says the Act does not provide councils with a benchmark on what should be considered nuisance barking. It recommends that recent environmental nuisance laws adopted in Queensland be considered.

The committee's chairman, Alderman Peter Sexton, says council will be asked to enlist the help of the Local Government Association to present a case to the Government. "The feedback that we're getting from the Queensland Government environmental nuisance law - which actually defines excessive barking as a total of six minutes in any hour from 7am to 10pm and a total of three minutes in any 30 minute period from 10pm to 7am - has actually improved the situation," he said.

The council's Parks and Customer Services Committee is to recommend to the full council that help be sought from the Local Government Association. The LGA.